


Why Him and not Me?

by AcieReyloPawesome



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Dates, F/M, Falling in love with multiple people, Fluff, Jealousy, Love, Lukanette, Marinette can't figure out her feelings, Possible Marichat, SO MUCH FLUFF, Slow Burn, THIS HAS LUKANETTE I WARN YOU - Freeform, Teasing, adrienette - Freeform, slumber party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-17 23:21:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14199858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcieReyloPawesome/pseuds/AcieReyloPawesome
Summary: Adrien starts noticing how much time Marinette is spending with Luka and starts to feel a bit.. jealous?





	1. Chapter 1

"So guys, a change of plans. Tonight at my place?" Juleka asked, smiling brighter than usual.

"Totally! I'll bring snacks", Alya said, winking. 

Marinette looked at her friends, feeling her heart beginning to beat faster. The girls had originally planned to have a slumber party at Mylène's house, but since her mother completely changed her mind at the last minute, now Juleka was offering her house. Marinette obviously had nothing against Juleka or her house, but more of the other person living in that same house. Or, she didn't really have anything against him either - she just couldn't really focus with her cheeks blushing and heart beating too fast.

Since the day that she'd met Luka, she'd felt some kind of a weird.. connection to him. When he played that guitar to her, she'd felt like she was being understood for once. And since Adrien didn't even seem to care that much, she'd allowed herself to enjoy her time with the blue haired boy. 

"Marinette? Marinette!"

Alya's voice brought Marinette back to reality and she looked at her friends, who were all staring at her, confused. Marinette laughed nervously and blushed. How long had she been staring at her notebook?

"Y-yes? Sorry, I just-"

"Thinking about Juleka's brother again? Girl, you are drooling", teased Alix and chuckled. Marinette blushed harder.

"W-what? No! I mean, he's cool and all, b-but not like THAT!" she insisted, but the other girls only laughed.

"Wait, Marinette, do you have a crush on Luka?"

Everyone turned around to look at Adrien, who'd suddenly begun speaking. Marinette felt her heart starting beat even faster, if that was even possible, as she stared into those emerald green eyes.   
Alya smirked and looked all around at the girls. They all grinned too. Marinette looked at them and suddenly realized what was going to happen.

"She might possibly have.." Alix said, staring at her nails smugly.

"Why are you interested? Jealous?" Rose offered, leaning forward towards Adrien so that the boy had to lean back. Marinette could swear she saw a hint of blush on his cheeks.

"What, no! I just.. I know Luka, that's all."

Adrien tore his gaze away from the girls and looked down. 

"And Marinette.."

"Y-yes?" 

"He's a cool guy. Don't worry, I won't spill your secret."

Adrien winked. Marinette blushed more and gasped. That move.. it reminded her of Chat Noir and of the night he'd given her the rose. She still had it. Great. Now she possibly had feelings for three different people. And one of them was egging her on to make a move on the other. 

Adrien turned back to his own desk. For some reason he could't help but feel slightly disappointed and maybe even sad. But why? He loved Ladybug, right? But the girl didn't seem interested in him in any way.. 

But Marinette wasn't a better choice either, since she now clearly had a crush on Luka. Adrien felt a twinge on his chest when he thought that. What on earth was going on?

 

 

'Okay. You can do this, Marinette. You can do this. It's just the guy that you kind of.. liiike? I guess.. UGH! I don't know.. Just relax. You'll do fine', Marinette told herself mentally when she rang the Couffaine house doorbell. She took a deep breath and faked a smile as she heard footsteps approach the door.

Her heart almost stopped for a second when she saw Luka open the door. There he stood, with his blue eyes staring back at her and with a funny expression on his face. Marinette felt her fake smile disappear and be replaced by a real one. She could feel her hands begin to sweat and shake, and her heart felt like it was going to explode.

"Uhm.. Hi! I'm here for the- the slubmer party- I mean slumber party! Y-your sister, Julena- Juleka! I mean Juleka, she uh, she invited me!"

Luka's unsure expression changed into a cheerful one and he chuckled. That laughter made Marinette feel like she was in heaven. 

"Well, welcome to the.. slubmer party then, Marinette. The others are waiting for you in the bedroom."

"Thanks, Luka.."

Marinette stepped in and made her way to Juleka's bedroom. As she stepped in the room, she shut the door and slid down it, groaning in embarrassment and putting her hands over her eyes. The other girls laughed and came over.

"You're finally here! What took you so long?" Juleka asked.

"I'm sorry- my dad had to deliver a few orders when he was giving me a ride - and monsieur Martin was really displeased with his macarons for some reason."

"Ok.. and why do you look like you just embarrassed yourself?" Alya asked.

"Because I did! Luka opened the door for me and I - I said slubmer party. And I called you Julena."

The other girls bursted into laughter and Marinette groaned again. 

"Oh my god! You really do have a crush on him, don't you?" Alix teased again.

"Shush! Isn't he in the next room? I don't want him to hear it from you! And - and besides, I've only seen him like - what is it, three times now? And now I'm just suddenly in love with him? I don't know, this is normal!"

"Mari, it's totally normal! He's a cute guy, you both like Jagged Stone, and you stutter - a lot - when he's around: it's completely natural", Rose explained. Marinette sighed.

"Oh my god - I have an idea!" Mylène announced.

Everyone turned to look at her, which at first made her feel a bit shy and nervous, but then she cleared her throat and began explaining.

"Let's play Truth or Dare."

"C'moon Mylène, that is such a basic game. And plus, it's boring" Alya complained, crossing her arms. 

"Yeah yeah - but let's invite Luka."

"What? NO! I know what you're trying to do! Then you would dare him or me to do something - weird to each other! And that's weird!" Marinette hurried.

Mylène, Alix, Alya, Juleka and Rose all laughed. Marinette felt her cheeks heating up more than she thought they ever had.

"I mean I don't know if he even wants..but I'm sure he'll accept if you ask him, Marinette" Juleka offered.

"Do I have to?" Marinette asked, looking at her friends.

Everyone nodded. Marinette sighed and got up. She put her hands in the air and said:

"Fine. I'll do it."

The girls cheered, and Alya yelled:

"Go get your man man, girl!"

Marinette sent her a glare and inhaled.

"I won't promise anything."

 

A knock on the door interrupted Luka's meditation. Though it had already been difficult to concentrate with all the noise coming from the room next door. He opened his eyes and felt his lips curl into a smirk.

"Come in, Marinette."

The girl stepped in, looking as nervous and as cute as usual. She seemed even more nervous this time, though. And Luka knew why.

"H-how did you know it was me?"

"Marinette.. I heard everything."

Luka felt almost bad for Marinette when the shock made all the color disappear from her face. He got up from the bed and walked over to her. She just stared back, looking almost terrified. 

"Thin walls", he decided to add. It didn't help. 

Marinette shook her head, finally coming out of the trance. She laughed nervously and took a step back. 

"I, uhh- I have to go-"

She turned to leave, but Luka grabbed her arm, stopping her. She quickly turned to look at him, and he could see the tears in her eyes. This wasn't supposed to happen..

"Marinette, wait."

She stared at him, her blue eyes wide and glimmering with tears. He slowly moved his hand to her cheek and smiled.

"I didn't say I don't like you. I do. I really do."

Some of the tears escaped her eye as she blinked and Luka quickly wiped it off.

"You're really funny. And very cute. And all the times you've been here, we've had fun together, right? So why would you assume that I don't like you back?"

"Are you saying you-"

"Yes, Marinette. I like you. I like you a lot."

Luka leaned in slightly, making Marinette gasp. She almost closed her eyes, leaning in too, letting her lips brush his softly. As they kissed Marinette felt like she'd died and gone to heaven. Was this even real? She opened her eyes for a second, seeing Luka was kissing her back. This was real. She let her arms find their way to the back of his neck and pull him closer. He let go of her arm and instead wrapped his arms around her back.

When Marinette let go, she was afraid to look into Luka's eyes, but the boy softly grabbed her jaw and turned her head so she did. 

"Do you like me too, Marinette?" he asked.

"Yes.. yes I do, Luka."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien's curiosity gets the best of him. But doesn't he know that curiosity killed the cat?

Adrien sighed, and walked over to the piano. He placed his fingers on the keys, but then clenched his fists and hit the keys with them. The horrible sound the instrument made caused Plagg to immediately wake up from his nap. The kwami glared at him and hovered to straight in front of him. 

"Ugh! What the heck, Adrien? You are supposed to play it, not torture it!" he complained, but Adrien kept on staring at his own lap. 

Plagg sighed. 

"What's wrong, kid? You've been silent all night."

Adrien gave him a look, and Plagg immediately understood.

"Oh! Is this about your.. love life?" he asked, teasing, and enjoyed every second of it when Adrien reacted exactly like he'd wanted him to. Quickly looking up into his eyes, his cheeks blushing and his eyes wide. 

Plagg laughed, but then when he noticed the boy's melancholic expression, he stopped.

"Jeez.. Ladybug again?"

"No, Plagg.. it's actually someone else.."

Adrien got up from the piano and walked over to the window. He rested his head on the glass and gazed upon the city of Paris.

How ironic. He lived in the so-called "city of love" and still couldn't figure out his feelings. Until now, everything had been simple. He'd loved Ladybug and wished that someday maybe she'd love him back. It was a lot to wish for, he knew that. But now suddenly everything was way too complicated, as he realized that lately he'd felt his his heart beat towards her in a way that it had previously only beaten to Ladybug. 

Marinette was his friend, and he had never thought too much of her. She'd always seemed a bit strange to him, but he still appreciated her company every now and then. And with the lately encounters, like when he'd taken her to the romantic balcony where he'd planned to confess his love to Ladybug, he'd felt bad for her. Maybe the crush she'd mentioned even back then had been Luka. And now when they'd been hiding for Gorizilla and everyone suddenly thought Marinette and him were dating - that had been awkward. He had had to explain to everyone that the rumor was false and that they were just friends. Back then, her slightly disappointed expression had made him feel.. guilty. Like he'd just committed a crime, and worst of all, hurt her. But why did it hurt her? 

"This is about that Marinette girl, isn't it? The whole "she has a crush on that - whatever his name was - boy?" 

"Yes.. I don't know why I feel this way. Now I suddenly feel like.. maybe she's not just a friend."

"Now that is something I thought I'd never hear", Plagg said sarcastically.

Adrien gave him a glare to shut him up, and that did the trick.

"Will I ever find someone that will love me for me? The whole me? Not just a side of me.. but all of me. The perfect and the imperfect..All of it."

Plagg tsked and chuckled. 

"You'll find her. Or him, whatever. And I'm sure that someday Ladybug might fall for your - ahem, how do I say this - cheesy pick-up lines. Honestly Adrien, I'll buy you a book called "101 Best Pick-Up Lines". Because as we've seen, cat puns don't work on 'your Lady'."

Adrien smiled.

"Thanks, Plagg."

"Any day, kid. Now if you'll excuse me, my sweet Camembert is waiti-"

"It can wait. Plagg, transform me!"

 

 

As Marinette stepped into the bedroom, she was hit with a wave of cheers, led by Alya. She was smirking and she'd put her hands to her mouth as a megaphone. Marinette could feel her cheeks heat up and let out a nervous laughter.

"Yaaass girl! That was awesome!"

"Get your man!"

"Oh my god! Did you kiss?"

"You totally kissed! I knew it! I knew it!"

The cheers were immediately silenced though, when Luka stepped into the room. Marinette turned to him and gave him an apologetic smile, laughing nervously. 

"Well. A little birdie told me you wanted to play Truth or Dare" Luka said calmly, ignoring the cheers and sitting down. Marinette sat down next to him, and was surprised by the fact that he put his arm around her shoulders. As she moved of surprise, Luka turned to glance at her with an insecure expression. 

"Is this not okay?" he whispered to her, making her blush.

"T-that's not it! It's completely fine, I just- got surprised", Marinette hurried to explain. Luka's expression softened again and he gave her a smile. Marinette smiled shyly back. She glanced at Alya, who was giving her a smirk and a thumb up. Marinette was too confused about everything that had happened to even react to that.

"We do wanna play", Mylène smiled.

"No no no! First, we have to hear what happened", interrupted Alix.

"I think you already did", Luka retorted. Alix immediately shut her mouth and huffed.

"Yes, maybe, but we need ALL of the details. And I mean ALL", Alya announced, crossing her arms. 

Marinette gave Luka an apologetic smile. Luka sighed.

"Fine", he said, surprising everyone. 

"Okay!" Rose grinned, rubbing her hands together. "First of all - did you kiss?" 

Marinette felt her face heating up and she glanced at Luka again. The boy only smirked.

"Isn't it obvious?" 

Marinette turned to glare at Luka, but she didn't really feel angry. He stared back, brushing his hand along her cheek and making her glare disappear. The girls squealed and giggled.

"So, Marinette.. Is he a good kisser?" Mylène asked.

"Gross, he's my brother!" Juleka yelled and threw a pillow at the giggling girl.

"I mean.. sure? I've never been kissed before.. so I don't really know.."

Immediately after saying that Marinette felt a guilty twinge on her heart. She felt horrible for lying, but she couldn't tell them she'd kissed Chat Noir. They didn't know of her secret identity, and she couldn't risk it.

"Okay.. Now let's begin."

"Ahem. Marinette, truth or dare?"

"W-what? Uh.. truth, I guess?"

"Do you still like Adrien?" asked Rose.

Marinette glanced at Luka and noticed he was staring at her. She could feel her heart start beating faster. 'Why did you have to ask that, Rose?' she thought, wanting to scream and rip her hair out. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I mean uh.. No. Not really."

She felt again a twinge on her heart. Lying felt bad, but her emotions weren't clear yet, she hadn't figured them out yet. But now that Luka actually seemed to, unlike Adrien, like her back, she felt that maybe she should give up on latter and focus on the boy that is interested in her. 

"I don't. I like Luka. Only Luka", she said, 

As the girls giggled, Marinette glanced out of the window and froze. Someone was looking through the window at them. Someone with cat ears. As the person noticed Marinette was staring back at him, he ran away and disappeared.

Marinette kept staring at the window, frozen until Luka bumped her arm and kissed her on the cheek. 

'Why was Chat Noir here?'


	3. Chapter 3

'Do you still like Adrien?'

'No.. No. Only Luka.'

'Only Luka.'

'Only Luka.'

'Only Luka.'

The words kept ringing in Adrien's ears. He rested his head on his palms and squeezed his eyes shut. In five minutes the class would start. He would have to focus. And see Marinette, of course. For some reason that made him feel anxious and his heart beat faster. But why?

"Hey dude, you okay?" Nino's voice brought Adrien back to reality. He turned to look at his friend and sighed. 

"I don't know, man. It's just.. I saw.. or.. heard something yesterday and I can't get it out of my head."

"Really? What was it?"

'Only Luka.'

"It's.. never mind. It's not that important."

The door opened and someone hurried in. Adrien's eyes met Marinette's as she stormed in. God, Adrien could feel his cheeks heat up as he stared at her. She looked so beautiful.. Maybe the old saying was true. A person always looks more attractive when they are no longer available. She had her hair down and she was wearing a jacket. Adrien knew that jacket. It was Luka's.

'Only Luka.'

Adrien tore his eyes from Marinette's and remained staring at his desk. Marinette calmly took a seat behind him and began joyfully chatting with Alya. 

"Hey, gurl. Gotta love that jacket. Whose is it again?" the girl teased. Adrien decided he would eavesdrop. A bad decision, really.

"Well, you know.. HIS."

"Oh Marinette, I do not know who you are talking about, please say the name!" Alya said, pretending to be oblivious and poking her shoulder.

Marinette huffed in embarrassment and hit Alya playfully on the head. She still couldn't help but smile when she thought of the last night. After the Truth or Dare they'd watched a movie. Luka had held Marinette the whole time, causing her not really to focus on the movie but instead the fact that she couldn't believe it was true. After the movie, he'd let her style his hair and at the end of the night kissed her on the cheek. The next morning they'd exchanged numbers and Luka had given Marinette his blue jacket to remember him by. Marinette softly brushed her hands along the fabric of the jacket and hummed happily. 

"Fine, it's Luka's. He was so sweet and gave it to me.. and guess what?"

"Yes?" 

"After that he kissed me again! Aaagh!" 

'Only Luka.'

Adrien felt his hands clenching into fists. He felt like something was boiling inside of him and would soon burst out if not stopped. He was an emotional mess. But why?

"Wait, Marinette? You're into Juleka's brother?" Chloe interrupted. 

Marinette felt her face heat up, but decided she wouldn't care.

"Yeah, I think I actually am."

"Hah! You're such a hopeless romantic! First Adrien, now this guy. I'm sure he doesn't even like you!" the blonde girl laughed. Sabrina laughed nervously behind her.

The classroom went silent. Adrien felt like his heart had stopped. He slowly turned around to look at Marinette. The girl seemed horrified, her eyes wide and cheeks red. She looked anxious and panicked, like a deer in the headlights. 

Why had he never noticed it before? It all made sense now. The rambling, the awkwardness, the blushing, the weird reaction to announcing everyone that they were not together. And of course. How could he have missed the biggest piece of information, Rose saying 'do you still like Adrien'. Still. That word alone indicated that she had once did. She had had feelings for him. And he'd called her a friend. 

But she didn't anymore.

'Only Luka.'

Marinette stood up quickly, and stormed out of the classroom. 

"Marinette!" Alya yelled and ran after her. Adrien couldn't do anything but stare after her. What had he just witnessed?

Adrien knew he couldn't comfort her. But there was someone who could.

 

"Tikki, why is this happening? Chloe is the worst! I was going to move on and be happy with Luka! And now she had to go and tell the whole class!"

Marinette stood on her balcony, staring into the horizon. Tikki hovered next to her.

"Marinette, it doesn't matter. I mean, you like Luka now, right?" she asked.

Marinette bit her lip and looked down. Tikki sighed and hovered to lift her head up. She looked her deep in her eyes.

"Adrien is a nobody, right?"

"Tikki.."

"Say it! I don't like Adrien anymore."

"Tikki!"

"Repeat it! Otherwise you'll never be happy. You have to admit it to yourself to feel complete."

"Fine. I don't like him anymore."

"Who?"

"I don't like Adrien Agreste anymore."

"And why?"

"Because I like Luka. Only Luka."

"Wow, why do you keep saying that?" 

Marinette turned around quickly and Tikki flew to hide behind her. There in front of her, stood the boy she'd seen spy on her last night. Chat Noir.

"Chat Noir.. What brings you here?" she asked, her brows furrowing. Seeing Chat made her remember the night he'd given her the rose and blush. She really didn't need anymore boy drama. 

Chat put his hands in the air a symbol of giving up. Marinette rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I just wanted to check on you. I.. I heard what happened today."

Marinette blushed and turned angrily away from the cat. As she stared into the horizon her angry expression turned into a melancholic one.

"Marinette... I'm sorry. I-"

"Why are you sorry? You haven't done anything."

Chat immediately felt a twinge on his heart. He maybe hadn't done anything, but HE had. He slowly walked over next to Marinette and leaned on the balcony, hanging his arms. He sighed and glanced at her silently. He could see her eyes shining. Oh no. Was she about to cry?

"That.. still doesn't mean that it was okay..what he did."

"He didn't do anything. Chloe did."

"Yes, but.. he was ignorant of your feelings and underestimated you. You know that, right?"

"He couldn't have known."

"I didn't know either."

"What difference does that make? We barely know each other."

"I actually- I do know a lot about you."

Marinette glanced at him, but then looked back down on the city. The sun had already set and Paris was dark. The only light sources were the city lights. Chat couldn't help himself from noticing how beautiful Marinette looked in the light. Her dark hair shone in the light, her eyes sparkling like stars. Chat didn't even notice he was holding his breath.

"Chat.."

"Yes?"

"The other day.. Well, actually yesterday.. I was at my friend's Juleka's house and I.. Were you spying on me?"

Chat stiffened immediately. He could feel himself beginning to sweat and feeling a strange urge to come up with an excuse. He let out a very shaky nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his head. 

"Well- I- How do you know it was me?" he asked.

"I saw your ears", Marinette said, playfully pointing at Chat's cat ears. Chat blushed and felt guilty. How on earth was he supposed the explain what this.. thing had turned him into? A pathetic child with a strange urge to see his crush everyday. 

Wait. Chat stopped himself right there. Crush? Was he crushing on Marinette? Was that why he felt so weird about Marinette and Luka? Was that why he felt so sorry for unintentionally hurting Marinette? Was that why he'd felt so defeated today when Chloe had said Marinette had used to like him? 

Was that why he felt jealous?

"Chat, are you okay?" Marinette's voice brought him back to reality.

"Um.. yeah! Yeah, sure, why?" he stuttered.

"You zoned out for like 20 seconds. I thought something bad happened!" Marinette huffed, crossing her arms.

Chat couldn't help but smirk. Time to turn on the charm.

"Princess, are you worried about me?" he asked, leaning towards her giving her the flirtiest gaze and smirk he could. He watched as Marinette blushed and turned away from him. 

"No, I'm worried because I'm a huge emotional mess!" she said, her voice sounding weak. Chat immediately felt bad for her and reached out his hand. When he touched Marinette's shoulder, the girl got startled and moved away from him.

"You can always talk to me."

Marinette took a deep breath. 

"Well, since it seems that you're not planning on leaving-"

"Not until you've spilled your heart!"

"Ugh.. Fine. I used to have.. SUCH a huge crush on Adrien Agreste..ever since he handed me his umbrella this one day...it sounds really silly, I know..  
but nothing really ever happened, I don't know, he saw me as a friend. Well, time passed and I met Luka. It kind of just.. clicked on the spot, like love at first sight, expect.. a crush on first sight, I guess. Then last night at the sleepover, he.. he confessed to me. And.. that has never happened to me before, it was... so new and yet so perfect. We.. we kissed."

Chat listened, tried his best to ignore the pain he felt in his chest and tried not to imagine Marinette kissing someone else.

"And then today happened.. I was still super excited about Luka, but then Adrien kind of.. looked at me.. weirdly. Like I'd hurt him. And then Chloe.. ugh.. she had to go and tell the whole class that I like Adrien- t-that I liked, used to like, Adrien. And then he looked at with puppy eyes again and I just- I couldn't take it."

She turned to Chat, smiling but yet melancholic. Chat felt his heart beginning to beat faster. That smile was something so beautiful, he thought his heart would stop.

"Thank you for listening, Chat. I guess all I needed was a... friend I could talk to."

The word 'friend' hit Chat like a bucket of bricks. It hurt, but then he remembered he'd done the same. He gave her a sweet smile and put his palm over hers. She blushed, but didn't look away from his eyes.

"I will always be here for you if you need to talk."

And with that, Chat Noir leaned in and kissed Marinette on the lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well well.. Now that I think about chapter 2, I realized like 6 days later almost the same thing happened to me. Crazy, I know, but true. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the kiss... Welp.

"Agh!"

Chat opened his eyes and felt a wave of regret and embarrassment splash over him. Marinette had jolted back almost instantly, and now stood there staring at him with her eyes wide. She seemed almost horrified. Chat immediately regretted his decision. 

"W-why would you do that?! Chat- I just finished talking about how much of an emotional mess I am thanks to Adrien and Luka! Kiss- kissing me will not help! At all! More like the opposite!" Marinette stuttered, her hands in her hairline. She leaned her back against the balcony and sat down, hiding her face behind her hands. 

"I- uhh.. I don't know, actually- I just- um.."

"I thought that dealing with having feelings for two guys was hard enough, and now there's three?! Chat, what were you thinking?!" 

"Marinette, I-"

Chat knelt down next to her and softly grabbed her face. Marinette reacted instantly, looking up and blushing. 

"What?" she said, but her anger wasn't strong. She looked weak, fragile. Sad. Broken.

"Marinette, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you. But I just- I- I have to.. tell you something."

Marinette stared at him in awe. Chat looked as if he was about to reveal some kind of big, huge secret- Oh no. OOOOH NO. Marinette suddenly knew exactly what he wanted to tell her. 

"Chat Noir, NO. You will not reveal your identity to me, do you hear me?!" she shouted, balling her hands into fists. 

"Please, just let me-"

"NO! I can't- I can't know! It's none of my business! I- I'm just a stupid, plain civilian! I don't even deserve to know- Chat, NO!!"

A green flash of light already lit up on the balcony, removing the cat suit from the boy and revealing the truth. Marinette quickly closed her eyes, but not before seeing the familiar blonde hair and green eyes. 

Silence. 

Adrien stood next to Marinette, who refused to remove the hands from in front of her eyes. He reached out his hand, placing it on her shoulder. Marinette flinched and shrugged the hand off of her. Adrien gasped, and then sighed. 

"Marinette-"

"Don't! Don't.."

"Please, let me just-"

"NO! I told you not to.. I- I'm not ready, how hard is that to understand? I've just had probably the worst day of my life and you are not helping!" she cried, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. 

Adrien flinched. How could he let this happen? How could he do as much as to hurt Marinette? First ignore her feelings, then spy on her, then act all grumpy, then kiss her and then try to reveal his secret identity? Adrien clenched his fists, shaking slightly. 

"How could you do this?!" a voice whispered to him angrily, and before he could even blink, Plagg hovered up in front of him. For a second he thought he was hearing voices, but then realized it was just the kwami. He sighed and looked away from him. 

"Who is that? Your kwami?" Marinette asked before she could stop herself. She instantly removed her hands from in front of her eyes and moved them to her mouth. She still kept her eyes closed, though. She really didn't want to see him. Not like this.

"Um, ye- Wait, what? How do you know about kwamis?" Adrien asked and Marinette could feel herself beginning to sweat. 

"I.. I don't! I just guessed! You know.. superhero comics and stuff!" she stuttered, laughing nervously.

"Marinette.. "

"Just- don't question it."

"No.. If you know about kwamis, that means you have one too! That means you're a miraculous holder.. wait- Rena Rouge?"

"NO- Wait, what?!"

Marinette finally opened her eyes and felt herself almost choking as she saw who was standing in front of her. The one and only Adrien Agreste, the boy she'd been crushing on for almost six months now. Marinette let out a squek-like sound and blushed immediately. Then she cleared her throat quickly and avoided looking him in the eye.

"Adrien.. You're- not the one I expected.." she stuttered.

"Who did you expect, then?"

"I'm telling you, Adrien! This is so against every single rule! You are not supposed to reveal your identity! Have you been listening to Ladybug at all?" Plagg screamed, but went unnoticed.

"I mean.. I don't know. Just- not you."

"Are you disappointed, then?"

"No.. I just didn't expect the boy I have- had a a crush on to be the boy I save Paris with- I MEAN CHAT NOIR! That's what I meant! Yeah."

"The boy you save Paris with... There's no reason to hide it anymore, Rena. I know."

"I'm not Rena Rouge for god's sake!" Marinette yelled louder than she'd originally planned. Adrien stared at her, eyes wide.

"Then.. who are you?"

"Stop saying 'then'. It's annoying. And I'm no one. So stop pressuring me and start telling me why on earth you came here to talk about yourself and then kissed me."

"Well then- uh.. ahem. Sorry. No, I know that you're a superhero now. Marinette, I need to know who you are. Just please, tell me who you are."

"I'm not going to say anything."

"If you're not Rena Rouge, then who are you?"

"God, maybe Alya's right", Marinette muttered, sighing.

"Alya? Is she a super hero too?"

"N- I mean, how could I know? And all I said was that maybe she's not that wrong about you not being the brightest light bulb.."

"Excuse you?"

"Never mind, Adrien! Just.. think about it. I'm a superhero that saves Paris. But I'm not Chat Noir, obviously, nor Rena Rouge. So who could I possibly be?" 

Adrien stared at her, trying his hardest to figure it out. Could Marinette really be Ladybug? The hair color matched, and so did the eye color, and how had Adrien never noticed she wore earrings? Round earrings too.. And her voice.. how did he notice the hairstyle? Pigtails. 

"Ladybug.." he whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick warning: There are some heavy words used in this text. Also, if you ship Adrienette - I am so sorry.

Adrien stared at her. He was unsure of what to do next. Marinette was not responding, simply keeping her eyes on the ground. She didn't smile, no, she was far from happy. Adrien tried to piece everything together in his mind. 

If he had guessed correctly to her clues, it would mean that Marinette was Ladybug. That would mean that all this time he'd been in love with a great friend of his, saving Paris with her. And it also meant that he'd done group projects at school with Ladybug. It meant that Ladybug was awkward around him. And Ladybug was in love with him. 

Had been. Adrien had to remind himself of that. She was interested in Luka now. His heart sank in his chest. He was too late. Had he discovered the truth earlier, he might've had a chance. If only he could've seen it earlier, before Marinette had given up on him and met Luka. If only he had.. 

Adrien realized how long he'd been silent, and decided that it was time to say something. He forgot to plan what he was going to say, though, and ended up saying:

”So, uhm.. Maribug, are you Lady?”

Marinette looked him in the eyes finally, seeming amused. Adrien realized how dumb he'd just sounded and chuckled nervously. 

”Oh, uh.. what I meant to say was: Are you Ladybug or are you not?” he tried again. 

Marinette took a deep breath, then let out a chuckle. ”I guess there's no point in hiding it anymore.” She nudged her small purse, and opened it. She stared into it, but nothing happened. Marinette looked ruffled. ”C'moon, Tikki. It's only fair.”

Adrien heard a small sigh from the purse, and soon a red bug kwami flew out. He gasped, realizing that Marinette was in fact Ladybug. ”Is that a-”

”My kwami? Yes. This is Tikki.”

”Tikki?” said Plagg, who had peeked his head out of Adrien's pocket. Tikki smiled as well, floating to hug the other kwami. ”I haven't seen you since the- I mean, in so long!” 

As the kwamis flew to the side to converse in peace, Adrien looked back at Marinette. The girl still wouldn't look at him, and now seemed even more vexed. Adrien couldn't help himself, and went ahead, asking the question he'd been wanting to ask all night.

”So.. do you like me?” he asked. ”Now that you know I'm Chat Noir?”

Marinette winced. She looked up slowly, wrapping her arms around herself. ”I.. I used to.”

”But what about now?” Adrien pushed. 

”I don't know, Adrien. I liked you for so long, for so god damn long, but nothing happened. As Chat, I never even considered it. Chat was my friend, I didn't need him to be more than that.” Marinette hugged herself tighter. ”Then I met Luka. And he.. he is so sweet to me. He cares for me, actually listens to me, and he won't kiss me without a warning..” she said, raising a brow. 

Adrien smiled apologetically. ”I- I didn't mean to, I'm sorry!”

He tried to look calm, but on the inside he was dying. He knew he loved her, but hearing her talk that way about some other guy, especially Luka, made him feel anger bubble inside of him. His blood was boiling and he felt his hands clench into fists.

”Anyways, I really, really like him. Deeply. He is.. good for me. What I have with him is.. great, and with a little time it could be perfect. And to be honest.. I don't think I want to risk that just for- nevermind.”

Adrien was not pleased with that answer. He wanted more. He would get more. 

”Just for what?” he demanded. Marinette jumped, but Adrien didn't care. He was angry, and he would get his answer even if he would have to force it out of her. 

”Adrien, please-”

”NO! Tell me! Just for WHAT?!” 

Marinette sniffled, and Adrien saw tears in her eyes. A trick, obviously, he thought. Crocodile tears. ”Okay, okay, fine!” she cried. ”I don't want to risk it just for this.”

”What do you mean by 'this'? Tell me!”

”Adrien, please calm down! I don't want to risk it all for this madness! You never paid any attention to me before this, then you suddenly spy on me, come talk to me about yourself, kiss me without consent or any warning, pressure me into revealing my secret identity and then force me into telling you all this! I don't want to risk ruining a perfectly healthy relationship for THIS! You expect me to just fall in love with you after everything you've done? No way! Everything you've done tonight has shown me absolutely nothing except that you are a selfish, demanding jerk! And if we ever got into a relationship, it would be toxic as hell!”

Adrien stared at her, his eyes wide. She was shaking, and now she was full on crying. The kwamis had come back and seemed horrified. ”Now, Marinette, you don't mean that, you-” Tikki tried, but Marinette turned to her, furious. 

”Yes, I fucking do! I will not just stand here and let him do all this!”

Adrien stood there, still silent of shock. His expressionless face was cold, and his clenched fists began trembling. 

”You think I'm selfish?” he roared in a sudden burst of rage. Marinette winced. ”You're the one who's selfish! If you knew I loved you as Chat, then why wouldn't you love me back?” 

”The same reason you wouldn't love me back as Marinette! You can't force it! And now it's too late!”

Adrien's brows furrowed deeper, and he pulled back his fist, ready to do something, but then something stopped him. A tiny paw touching him. He looked down, and saw Plagg's pleading face. 

”Don't do this, Adrien. Please.”

Adrien stared at his kwami for a while. Then the reality slowly sank back in, and he realized what he'd just almost done. Trembling, he opened his fists and stared at his palms. Tears in his eyes, Adrien began breathing more rapidly. 

”Marinette..” he whispered. Marinette jumped slightly on the mention of her name, but turned around, hugging herself and shutting her eyes. She exhaled deeply before saying:

”I think you should go.”

Adrien stood there, still not sure of what to do next. He knew he wanted to say something. But what could he say, really? She hated him. And had very good reasons, too. Adrien liked to ignore those reasons and just say that she was selfish, but he knew it wasn't true. She had every reason to hate him. He hated himself. 

How could he have done such a thing? He'd always imagined that finding out Ladybug's true identity would make things sweet and romantic. This was not romantic in the slightest. He loved her. So what made him scream at her? She hadn't done anything, really. She'd just told him she couldn't be with him. And even though Adrien loved her as a friend and a possible partner, somehow all that had anger, all that sadness, all that bitterness of unrequited love had manifested itself into the things he'd said. Except it wasn't unrequited. All this time, Marinette, Ladybug, had loved the other side of the coin. And he had loved her, but as Ladybug. All this time he'd wondered of Ladybug could love both sides of the coin if she found out. Now it turned out she couldn't love either.

Marinette's ringtone interrupted the silence. The girl sat down on her chaise and fished her phone out of her pocket. She looked at the screen, and by her smile and happy exhale Adrien guessed it was Luka calling. He turned around and transformed to Chat Noir. As he was about to leave, he turned around to get one last look at Marinette. 

She had her back turned to him, but he heard her nevertheless. ”Hi. No, I'm not doing anything...Sure, why not? Where?... Oh, you'll come here? What a gentleman.” She giggled, and that made the daggers in Chat's chest twist. ”Okay, see ya. Bye.”

Marinette hung up and left the balcony. Chat turned back around, took a good, long look at the Parisian sky, and then disappeared into the night.

 

The next day at school, Adrien felt like he'd just woken up with a terrible hangover. As his limo pulled up to the school, for a while he wondered if he could just go back home. But he couldn't. He knew that. 

He shut the door and waved to Nino. The boy came over quickly and the two began conversing about their days. 

”Okay, so- what's new with you?” Nino asked, nudging Adrien in the arm. ”What do you think of... Marinette?”

Adrien froze, but then tried to shake it off and let out a nervous laugh. ”Uhm, she's.. she's cool, right?”

Nino grinned knowingly. ”Sure. She's cool.”

”Why are you asking me about this?” Adrien asked, trying to not stare as his eyes located Marinette. There she stood, next to Alya and Juleka. There she was, the girl of her dreams. Ladybug. 

And she hated him.

”Well, you know.. I mean, haven't you ever thought of it? We're best friends, Alya and her are best friends, I'm dating Alya.. Wouldn't it make perfect sense?”

It would. ”No, I, uh.. I don't think so. Sorry.”

Nino seemed surprised. He rubbed the back of his neck and said: ”Really, man? Why so?”

”Because she hates me”, Adrien said, staring at the ground. 

”What? Since when?” Nino blurted out. Adrien sighed.

”Since now, Nino.”

”Well, then, I guess-”

They were interrupted by Alya, who joined to conversation, pulling Marinette along. The girl seemed very displeased with this, but remained silent. Adrien guessed it was because of him.

”Hi guys! So, how are you doing?” Alya asked, smiling brightly. Nino's face had gone white and he looked almost nauseous. 

”Hi, babe... Could I talk to you for a second?” he asked, grabbing Alya's arm. Alya smirked, thinking this was part of the plan. The two had previously planned to set Marinette and Adrien up by leaving them alone together. But thanks to this new twist to the story, Nino knew it was a terrible idea. 

”Sure, love. Okay, you two, have fun while we talk! It might take long!” Alya shouted, still smiling as she pulled her boyfriend a few feet away from the two. 

Marinette glared at her best friend, who winked and gave her the thumb up. Marinette sighed, and turned her gaze to the ground. Then she looked up at Adrien. The boy was staring at her. Marinette clenched her fists, but tried to remain calm and so instead she crossed her arms. 

”Soooo..”, Adrien broke the silence. ”I'm guessing you didn't tell her?”

”I was about to. But then she pulled me over here.”

”Let's hope Nino is able to tell her, right?” Adrien tried and chuckled a bit. Marinette didn't either laugh or say anything.

”I don't want to talk to you”, she said after a while. Then she glanced over at Alya, and saw that the girl was shocked. Alya said one more thing to Nino, seeming pissed, before walking over to Marinette and hugging her. 

”I'm sorry, girl”, she said. ”I had no idea something had happened between you two. Just know that you can tell me anything, okay?”

Marinette smiled and nodded, before pulling her friend away from the boys. ”Bye, Nino”, she said.

Adrien buried his head in his hands and groaned. Nino put his hand on the guy's shoulder and tried to comfort him. ”Look, man, whatever happened between you two, Marinette won't stay mad at you forever. She's kind of a forgiver, you know? Just give it time. Or, you know, apologize.”

Adrien looked up. He stared at Marinette sitting on the stairs, keeping her head buried between her knees, and Alya, trying her best to get her friend to talk. ”I don't know if she will ever forgive me.”

”I'm sure she will- Hey, do you hear that?”

Adrien listened, and was actually able to hear it. It sounded like... a drill?

And then a huge drill crashed through the wall of the school and made a ear tearing sound. Adrien stared at it, his eyes wide with shock as a villain appeared from next to the drill. 

”Citizens of Paris! If you drilling disturbs you that much, then what if I drill some more? I am Dr. Driller! And I will drill as much as I please!” the villain shouted, and his voice even sounded like a huge electric drill. Adrien covered his ears.

He could see Marinette running out of the building, and for the first time ever, the puzzle pieces really came together. She was going to go transform. She was Ladybug and she was going to save the city. That reminded him that he should do the same, but before he could run off, someone grabbed him by the sleeve. 

Adrien turned around to see Nino and Alya. Nino looked concerned, and Alya was already livestreaming everything for the LadyBlog. 

”Dude, where are you going?” Nino asked, his eyes wide. The drilling made such a loud sound that they had to yell.

Adrien froze for a second, but then yelled back: ”I'm going after Marinette!”

”She doesn't want to see you right now!” Alya yelled. 

”I don't care! She needs me!” 

”But she hates you!” 

Nino groaned. ”This is all so confusing! She loves you!”

Adrien stared at Nino, and then turned to look at Alya. The girl's eyes were wide and she had her mouth open. ”Um, Nino, babe...”

”Yes, Alya?”

”The.. the livestream...”

Adrien froze once again. He had completely forgotten the livestream. Who knew how many followers the LadyBlog had? This had the potential of ruining everything.

”Uhm- maybe- maybe not that many people have seen it? Not that many people have seen it, right?”

”Nino.. my livestreams are broadcasted on television..” Alya whispered. 

Nino's face went white. He began rambling, and trying to make sense, but Alya only stared into nothingness. 

”Maybe people won't know! I mean, there has to be more than just one Marinette in Paris, right? And- And it was very early on the livestream! Maybe not so many people have tuned in right from the start! And besides, why would someone care? No one is that much of a Ladybug fan to tune in to livestreams of the LadyBlog that early and also know both Marinette and Adrien and despise Marinette that much, right?”

All three of them froze. 

Chloe. 

The thoughts ran through Adrien's head, but he knew he had to focus. He had to go and fight alongside Ladybug, whether she liked it or not. He'd deal with this afterwards.

He ran to the side of the building, leaving Alya and Nino shouting behind him. He quickly transformed and finally joined the battle Marinette- Ladybug was having with Dr. Driller. 

He extended his baton and jumped to the rooftop where Ladybug was fighting the drills. Chat hit Dr. Driller in the face with the baton and knocked some of the drills down as well. Ladybug turned aroud, and almost smiled, before returning to an expressionless state. 

”Good that you're here, Chat Noir. Let's fight”, she told him, before extending her yo-yo, going a full circle on it and kicking Dr. Drill in the face. 

”Sure thing, M'La- Ladybug.”

As Chat ran, the ground underneath his feet cracked and crumbled down. Chat stopped himself from falling with his baton, before jumping back to the roof and knocking down some more drills. 

”The akuma must be in his drill! The biggest one! Can you see it?” Ladybug yelled.

Chat looked around, until he spotted the largest drill Dr. Drill held in his hand. ”Yes! We just have to find a way to make him give it up!”

Ladybug chuckled. ”Oh, we will!”

She flew out her yo-yo and flung herself through the air, kicking Dr. Driller in his back. The Dr. Fell with loud grunts of pain, and the drill flew out of his hands. 

”Chat! Grab it!”

Chat ran to catch the drill, but it landed on the ground, cracking in half. The dark butterfly flew out, so Ladybug caught it in her yoyo and released it. Everything went back to normal, and Ladybug disappeared behind another building.

Chat followed her. She stood in a lonely alleyway, staring at the ladybugs clearing everything back to normal.

”Hey.. we didn't pound it?” Chat said, startling Ladybug. She turned around, and reluctantly looked Chat in the eye. 

”Well, as you can see, I'm still angry.”

”I'm sorry, Marinette.”

”That's not gonna change this. I need time away from you, so that I can think about this in peace, okay?”

”You can't exactly do that. We see each other in school everyday, not to mention these akuma fights.”

”But we must try. Please, Chat. I need this.”

”I.. Okay. If it will make you feel better. But.. how?”

”Easy. We'll just avoid all contact until we're ready. If at school or during fights we are forced to work together, we will. If it is not mandatory, we won't. Would that be okay?”

Chat looked at Ladybug. The way she avoided eye contact and kept her eyes on the ground. The way she was tucking on her hair and looking so hurt. The way she'd put her one foot over the other. All the little details, all of them he took notice of. He wanted to remember her like this, hurt. He never wanted to hurt her like this ever again. 

”Yes.”

 

After the fight, Marinette returned to the school. She ran to hug Alya, and Adrien came soon after her. 

”What happened? Where were you guys?” Nino asked, reaching out to touch Adrien's shoulder to make sure he was okay. 

Alya's eyes widened. ”Oh my- did you make up?” And make out, she added mentally. 

Marinette shook her head. Adrien rubbed his arm, but didn't say anything.

”Really? So you both just.. disappeared?” Nino asked suspiciously. 

”Yup.” Adrien kept his head hung low. Alya put her both hands on Marinette's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. 

”Uh, okay, girl, listen. Something happened when you left”, Alya said, trying to put everything to words. 

”What is it?” Marinette asked.

Before Alya could answer, Marinette heard snickers and whispers from behind her. She turned around and saw a bunch of girls from her parallel class. They were staring at her and laughing. Marinette was confused. Then she heard what they were saying.

”What a slut.”

”He'll never like her! Such a loser.”

”And I thought that Sabrina was pathetic. This is a whole new level of pathetic.”

”She's probably like obsessed with him.”

”Daddy issues, duh.”

”Remind me to never get that attached to a guy.”

The words made her heart feel cold. Why would they say such things? She barely even knew them! What gave them the right to call her a slut when she'd done nothing to them? Marinette's heart began beating more rapidly and she turned to Alya. 

”Do those whispers possibly have anything to do with what happened?” she asked, her face numb.

Alya smiled nervously. ”Well, I think you'd better just read this..” she handed Marinette her phone. Her eyes widened as she read the head line.

Marinette the Whore Dupain-Cheng

We all know Marinette Dupain-Cheng, right? That bakers' daughter. A clumsy, happy-go-lucky loser. Adorkable, minus the adorable part. Her.   
So we all know that right now she's been spotted by many, many people hanging out with Luka Couffaine, the older brother of Marinette's own friend Juleka Couffaine. And this budding romance is just to die for!  
Well, yes, except for one little thing. She's not in love with him. She's playing him. It was revealed in a LadyBlog livestream earlier today that Marinette is actually in love with everyone's favorite model, Adrien Agreste, son of the fashion designer Gabriel Agreste.   
So what is the story here? Obviously we can assume that Marinette tried to get with old pal model boy, but Adrien thought he was too slutty for him! I'd know, I'm like his best friend. So then she found herself a boy toy, Luka. Obviously the relationship is nothing but a sad, sad attempt to make Agreste jealous. And oh, it is so pathetic. Pathetic, I say!

Either way, thanks for letting me talk the talk. Toodles!

Yours truly,

this_is_utterly_ridiculous

 

Marinette stared at the text and only one thing came to her mind as she tried to see through the tears. 

'I have to find Luka.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. Finally! After almost a year, I finally found the motivation to write this! I mean, I wrote this like three times. But my laptop wouldn't let me post and kept on making it disappear. But, here's to hoping that the next chapter won't take this long. Bye!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is the final chapter. SPOILER ALERT: Adrienette.. is not happening.

Adrien slammed his hand against the locker, startling everyone in the area. Chloe turned around, ready to yell at whoever had interrupted her day, but then she saw who it was. Her expression softened and she put her hands together. 

“Adrikins!” she exclaimed. “Have you come to see me? There are other ways of getting my attention, you know. No need to make such a scene, haha!”

Adrien glared at the blonde, his fists clenching and jaw tightening. Chloe blinked in confusion, before asking:

“What is it?”

“You know exactly what it is”, Adrien snarled. Chloe’s eyes widened. 

She didn’t answer right away, and instead kept on staring at him. Adrien could see that she was trying to put together an answer in her head. 

“Well..I, uh, really don’t, Adrien.”

“Oh? So this isn’t yours?” he asked and shoved the phone screen to her face. Chloe had to back away a bit so she could read the text on the screen. As she recognized it, her face went white. She let out a nervous laugh, covered that with an awkward cough and put on a fake confident smile. 

“Psh, of course not. I would never write such a thing.”

“You wouldn’t, huh? Who else in Paris has such a strong hatred for Marinette? Who else in Paris has spent years trying to torment Marinette? Who else in Paris says that they’re my best friend? Who else in Paris uses the phrase ‘utterly ridiculous’? Chloe, I know it was you. Why would you do this?”

Chloe tried to convince Adrien that she had nothing to do with this for a few more seconds, before she gave up and sighed. “Fine”, she admitted roughly. “I wrote it. Happy?”

“Of course I’m not happy! You completely humiliate and shame Marinette for something that didn’t even happen!”

“But Adrikins, it did happen. She loved you and when she didn’t get the attention she craved from you, she seduced Luka”, Chloe explained and crossed her arms. 

Adrien tried his best to remain calm. “That is not what happened. You are blowing things out of proportion!”

“Oh, Adrien.. That’s how the best drama is made.”

“This isn’t meant to be drama for people like you to enjoy! It’s her life and you really hurt her!”

“Stop defending her! You’re my best friend, you’re supposed to be on my side!” Chloe cried. 

“A best friend wouldn’t do something like this, Chloe. You might have just ruined Marinette’s relationship with Luka!”

“She deserves it! Aren’t you angry at her? She just found a new guy just like that!”

“I had no idea she loved me until you told the whole class. And until Nino accidentally told all of Paris. But you know what? It’s called moving on. She loved me, but now she found someone new and now she…-”

Adrien couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. Chloe waited for him to say the rest of it, and sighed deeply when he didn’t. 

“Jesus Christ, Adrien. Don’t tell me that now you love her.”

Adrien didn’t answer, but just clenched his fists tighter. 

“It’s none of your business, Chloe. Just delete the text.”

 

Marinette stopped running and leaned on the wall next to her. She panted,out of breath, and tried to gather herself. She felt tears stinging her eyes as she heard the horrible things ring in her head.

‘Marinette the Whore Dupain-Cheng.’

‘She was too slutty for him.’

‘Her boy-toy, Luka.’

She had to call Luka. She had to. Marinette fished her phone out of her pocket and with her fingers shaking, found Luka’s number and called him. The boy didn’t pick up immediately, but when Marinette heard his voice, she felt the tears start falling. 

“Hello”, Luka greeted. Marinette took a deep breath before speaking. 

“Luka”, she whispered, voice shaking. “You haven’t checked the ParisHub lately, have you?”

The boy fell silent for a while. Those seconds were pure pain for Marinette. 

“Yes, I have, actually”, Luka answered reluctantly. 

“So… you’ve read the text about me.”

Luka hummed instead of answering. After a few seconds he asked: “Is it true?”

“Luka..”

“Please, Marinette, just answer to me.”

“I mean.. you already knew that I used to liked Adrien.”

“But.. what about me? What do I mean to you?” Marinette could hear the hurt in his voice and did her best not to sob.

“I.. I really, really like you, Luka. Just.. let me explain. I used to like Adrien, you know that. But I told you and everyone on that night of the slumber party I no longer like him and that I like you. And it’s the truth. I never meant for you to be his replacement. I simply met you and realized that Adrien would never love me like I loved him. But you, you were so sweet to me. And so kind. And that’s why I think I’m in love with you.”

Luka fell silent once again, and for a second Marinette feared he didn’t believe her. Then she heard him take a breath. “You’re in love with me?” he asked, all of sudden.  
Marinette felt like she’d been hit in the head with a frying pan. Had she really just said that? She let out a nervous laugh, and suddenly didn’t feel like crying anymore.

“D-did I say that? I mean.. I, uh.. I really...Luka, I-”

“Listen, calm down. I never really believed any of that text.”

Marinette was stunned. “What? You didn’t? Then why’d you sound so hurt?”

“I wanted to make sure. But I know that you are such a sweet and sincere girl, that I knew that you wouldn’t do that. And I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Oh, good… oh, and thank you!” Marinette thanked and smiled to herself. Relief washed over her and she could almost feel the tears of joy in her eyes. 

Luka chuckled. “Oh, and if it makes you feel any better, I’m in love with you too.”

“Wha-what?”

“I’m in love with you. Every single part of you. You’re smart, beautiful and amazing. I know we’ve only hung out for a few weeks, but I’ve never felt so strongly about anyone before. Do you think we could hang out together tonight?”

Marinette felt like she was on cloud nine. In that moment, she completely forgot about Adrien and all the drama the text had caused. She was in love with Luka and the boy was with her. Maybe everything would solve itself. 

“Yes, I think we definitely can.”

 

Chat Noir sat on the rooftop of the school. He could see all of Paris from there. He sighed, and let his elbows rest on his knees. When did everything get so complicated? He hadn’t seen Marinette for the rest of the day. Chloe had deleted the text after he’d threatened her, but screenshots of it were all over the internet. Everyone in the school knew about the fiasco, but luckily their classmates didn’t judge Marinette. They knew her and knew that she’d never do such a thing. 

But the rest of the school was not so easily convinced. Throughout the day, Adrien had heard snickers and whispers about him and her. It was almost painful to listen to. He hated people saying such things about her, like she was actually that selfish. 

From the rooftop, he could see students exiting the building. He could see Alya and Nino walking together. The two had apologized immensely after the horrid incident, especially Nino. He felt such guilt over spilling the beans on the livestream. Marinette had told him that it was fine. It was Chloe who wrote the text, after all. 

His eyes scanned the area down on the ground. He froze as he spotted someone he really didn’t want to see and also desperately wanted to see at the same time. It was her.   
A pushing urge came over him. Where was she going? He had to know. Who was she with? Probably Luka. Jealousy burned inside of Adrien and he clenched his fists.   
He watched as she left her home and made her way towards the Eiffel Tower. Before Adrien could stop himself, he was already jumping from roof to roof with his baton, following her. He stopped as he saw her sit down on a bench. 

She looked so.. happy. For someone who’d just been publicly humiliated online, she seemed unnaturally happy. Adrien felt a twinge in his heart thinking that that joy was not caused by him. In a way, all of this was his fault. But he had no way of making it up to her.   
Soon Adrien’s worst fears came to life as he saw Luka arriving. He squeezed the baton in his hand tighter and watched as the couple kissed. Marinette, Ladybug, was kissing someone that wasn’t him. 

Seeing them made something change inside of Adrien. He realized that he didn’t feel as much pain as he used to. He knew she’d never love him. She was happy in a relationship with someone else. Who took good care of her, and loved her like she deserved to be loved. Adrien knew he no longer felt jealous. All that anger and hatred inside of him slowly melted away. He felt true joy for her. He wanted her to be happy. And if she wouldn’t be happy with him, he’d just have to live with that. And in that moment, he was sure he could try. 

 

Four months later

 

“You’ve got cake on your face, sweetie”, Luka chuckled. 

Marinette wiped her face and then looked at the frosting on her hand. She giggled in embarrassment, but licked the frosting off of her fingers. “Oh, how silly of me.”

“Let me help you with that”, Luka whispered, and leaned in to kiss her. Marinette was startled, but then happily kissed her boyfriend back. 

“Oh, look at you lovebirds. Would you like some more cake?” Mr. Dupain asked, interrupting the two’s moment. Marinette jolted back, blushing and staring at her father awkwardly. 

“Dad! Do you have any idea of privacy?” she snapped. Luka reached to out his hand over hers. Marinette turned to look at him, and as she looked into his blue eyes, she felt calmer. 

“It’s okay, Mr. Dupain. No thank you on the cake offer. I think that we’ll just be on our way now, but it was nice seeing you again.”

Mr. Dupain smiled. “It most certainly was, Luka. Now you take good care of her, okay? And have fun!” he said, as he shook Luka’s hand.

“Thanks, dad!” Marinette said and hugged him. 

Mr. Dupain left, and as Marinette and Luka were gathering the things to go out, the bell on the door rang, announcing someone had entered. The two turned to look and were surprised to see Adrien Agreste. Since it was summer vacation, Marinette hadn’t him in weeks. The boy stared at them, before he snapped out of it and came to greet them with a smile on his face. 

Over the last months of school, the two had fought many villains together without exchanging barely any words as their civilian selves. One time they’d met up and talked everything over, and finally made up. Marinette no longer had feelings for Adrien and vice versa. They still kept their distance, because that night on the balcony was a one they’d never forget. They’d forgiven each other and would consider themselves to be friends, they could fight crime together and hang out with Nino and Alya. But they hadn’t been alone together in ages.   
Luka was the one to break the silence by greeting Adrien. 

“Hi, dude. How have you been? Haven’t seen you in ages.”

Adrien smiled a bit shyly. “Hey, Luka, Marinette. Yeah, I’ve been busy with the modeling, ya know? But it’s nice to see you, both of you.”

Marinette remained calm, but offered Adrien a small smile. “Yeah, it’s great to see you too, Adrien.”

“So, how have you been, Marinette?” Adrien asked, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Great. I’ve spent so much time with Luka.. and he’s great.” 

“C’moon, don’t flatter me that much”, Luka teased, blushing slightly. Marinette laughed, and Adrien could see the happiness in their eyes.

“Either way, everything’s been great.”

“That’s nice to hear.”

Suddenly, a news program started playing on the cafe television. The three turned to look, and saw the Paris news broadcast about a new akuma attack. Marinette’s eyes widened. She was going to have to ditch her date just for being Ladybug. Dating was difficult for a superhero. She ran the possible excuses in her mind, when all of sudden a thought popped into her head. It was risky, but she didn’t want to lie to Luka. 

As Adrien said a quick ‘I have to go’ and ran out of the cafe, Marinette turned to Luka and prepared herself. 

“Babe, listen. There’s something I have to tell you, but you can’t tell anyone, okay?”

Luka stared at her in awe, but nodded. Marinette took a deep breath before whispering:

“Tikki, spots on.”

Luka’s eyes widened as Marinette transformed in front of him. Ladybug stared at him, slightly scared of his reaction. Would he be offended she didn’t tell him? Would this be the end of their relationship?

“Marinette, you’re-”

“Ladybug. Yes.”

“But- how? And why didn’t you-”

“Tell you? I couldn’t. I had to keep you safe. But I can’t lie to you anymore. Now you know.”

Luka stared at her for a few seconds, before grabbing her face and pulling her into a demanding kiss. Ladybug kissed back with passion, before pulling away, flustered. 

“I’ll keep your secret. Just promise me you’ll bring me back Marinette, alive.”

Ladybug let a grin take over her face and said:

“Of course I will.”

With that, she ran out of the cafe and Luka watched from the window as his girlfriend joined the fight. As he looked at her, all he could think of was: ‘That girl is incredibly brave. I love her.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading! Again, sorry it took me almost a year to finish this, but let me tell you; school. It's been a lot. Either way, if you were rooting for Adrienette, I'm sorry. But when I started writing this fic, it was always going to be Lukanette centric since I got inspiration from Captain Hardrock. (And now I just watched Silencer and AAAGH Lukanette is SO FUCKING CUTE I CAN'T EVEN). So with that, this fic is finished, Adrien and Marinette are still friends, Lukanette is totally happening and freaking adorable, thanks, bye!

**Author's Note:**

> I promise I will finish this soon, but currently I'm kinda busy 'cause I'm actually going to Paris, France next week! It's so cool to see the places that the stories of Miraculous are based on.. anyways, byE!


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